Translating Career Development Research to Practice in ITEST
Description
Translating career development research into practice has long been a challenge for both the education and workforce development communities. It is exceedingly difficult for educators and training professionals to develop and implement programs that keep pace with the rapid advances in technology. Preparing a highly skilled and resilient workforce requires a collective focus on ensuring that the largest number of students possible develop the interests, skills, knowledge, and dispositions needed to flourish in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.
The ITEST program has been supporting the development of STEM identity and career awareness in PreK-12 youth since 2003. This paper, divided into two parts, is designed to provide a background in career development research and to highlight the application of this research by ITEST projects.
Part 1: What Research Tells Us About Career Development
Considerable research supports how individuals develop career interests and capabilities and the importance of career development in helping individuals pursue pathways toward productive and rewarding careers (Robertson et al., 2021). This paper examines the foundational theories of career development and the translation of this research into practice.
Part 2: The Career Development Continuum & ITEST At-a-Glance
This paper explores explores the three stages of career development that youth experience, beginning early in developing career awareness, engaging in career exploration, and building career preparation. We then demonstrate the practical application of career education research at each stage by demonstrating examples of funded projects in the NSF’s ITEST program.
Together, these papers shed light on the underpinnings of career education and its relevance to preparing youth for the innovation-driven technological workforce. With a deeper understanding of research in the field, educators and policymakers can make more informed decisions about what information and experiences might be introduced into pre-K–12 curriculum and out-of-school learning experiences to guide students onto paths leading to productive and rewarding careers.
